Agricultural machine.



G. W. HOOD.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16, 1012.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

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GLADIUS WHITFIELD HOOD, OF LAMAR, SOUTH CAROLINA.

AGRICULTURAL MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1913.

Application filed March 16, 1912. Serial No. 684,233.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLADIUS W iurrrinno H001), a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lamar, in the county of Darlington and State ofSouth Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inr-lgricultural Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to agricultural machines, and particularly tochoppers for thinning out plant-s in a row, such as young cotton plants,or for cutting stalks.

This machine is also convertible into a harrow or the like, and consistsof an improved and simplified construction of few parts so designed thatwhen used as a chopper thechopping hoes are readily adjustable in anysuitable position.

There are other advantages which will be hereinafter described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a view from above, of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a view of the harrow attachment. Fig. 3 is adetailed View of the flanges carrying the chopper hoes. Fig. 4 is adetail of the hoe shaft adjustment.

Similar reference characters refer similar parts throughout thedrawings.

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are members of wood or iron forming a suitable frame.These are bolted or fastened together in any suitable manner. At thefront of the frame is the clevis or beam bar 6, to which may be fasteneda swingletree. Suitable holes 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are provided forattaching the swingletree, and the clevis bar is adjustable in anysuitable manner such as the holes in the ends of same in which areplaced suitable pins indicated at 12 and 13.

14 and 15 are handles project-ingrearwardly for the purpose of guidingthe machine.

16 is an axle mounted in the frame in any suitable manner so as to bereadily removable therefrom. Attached to the axle are the draft wheels17 and 18 and the suitable bevel gear 19, these and the axle forming aunit. At right angles to the axle 16 is posi' tioned the shaft 20, whichis suitably supported by a swivel bearing or journal in the frame member5. Rigidly attached to this shaft is a suitable bevel gear 21 and thepair of flanges 22, which, when bolted together, to form the hoe supportshown in detail in Fig. 3. In this support is placed a suitable numberof hoes indicated at 24; and 25, the stems of the hoes being adjustablebetween the flanges. The rear end of the shaft 20 may be provided with asuitable handle 27 extending rearwardly outside of the frame and betweentwo vertical members 28 between which it may be clamped or held in anysuitable manner, thus providing an adjustment similar tothat indicatedin Fig. 3, whereby the hoes may be adjusted inrelation to the ground. Itwill be understood that gears 19 and 21 are made with a relatively largeamount of clearance so that the slight movement given to 21, when theshaft 20 is adjusted, Wlll not cause them to bind, at the same time theswivel hearing will permit the shaft 20 to be slidably moved in it, andthereby provide for any further adjustment that may be required in therelative position of these gears. A guide wheel 26 is attached to theframe member 3 so that it will support the weight of the rear end of themachine.

In operation as a chopper, the machine is drawn along a row of plants orstalks, the draft wheels of the machine straddling the row. As themachine moves forward the draft wheels 17 and 18 revolve together withthe shaft 16 carrying the gear 19, which revolves gear 21 and its shaft20, thereby revolving the member 22 carrying the hoes. The distancebetween the hoes and the ground being suitably adjusted, the hoes willcut stalks or thin out young plants, in the latter case the hoes beingso spaced or such a number of them being used. that only a certainnumber of plants will be removed from the row; for instance everyalternate plant, if desired.

It is obvious this machine may be used to perform any other work thanthat above mentioned, for which a machine of this character may beutilized, and the action of the hoes directly on the plants crosswise ofthe row is more positive than if the cutting action was in the sameplane as the movement of the machine. This feature is of particularadvantage in thinning out young cotton plants, as the hoes working atright angles do not damage or touch any plants except those to beeliminated, as the plants to remain will pass freely between the hoes,same being properly spaced in the flanges to permit of this. Harrow orother attachments may be used in the frame work of this chopper byremoving the draft wheels, chopper mechanism and frame member 5, bybolting a suitable harrow such as shown in Fig. 2 to the front framemember 4: and the side members 1 and 2. It is obvious that various formsof harrows and similar devices may be used.

I claim:

A cotton chopper comprising in combination a frame-work, an aXle mountedin said frame-Work and adjacent the front portion thereof, supportingwheels secured to said axle, a gear rigidly secured to said axle, aswivel bearing supported by said framework, a shaft supported andslidable in said bearing, a gear rigidly secured to one end of saidshaft and arranged to engage with the first mentioned gear and beactuated thereby even when said shaft is slightly tilted, said shaftbeing supported by said bearing adjacent to said end, a pair of uprightssecured to said frame-work arranged to permit the shaft to be moved in avertical plane there-between, a cam like member mounted on the shaft andadapt-ed to engage with. the sides of said uprights and adjustably holdthe shaft therebetween, and adjustable chopper heads mounting the shaftbetween the bearing and uprights.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

CLADIUS WHITFIELD HOOD. lVitnesses P. B. MoLnNDoR, S. L. PIPKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 13.0.

